Carol Burnett News

Jay Leno has concluded his run as host of “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” by delivering the show's biggest overall audience in more than 15 years, since May 1998.

Craig Shemin, President of The Jim Henson Legacy and author of the lavishly illustrated and meticulously researched new Muppets Character Encyclopedia (2014, DK Publishing), will present a program featuring memorable moments from the biggest Muppet stars, as well as rare highlights of some lesser known characters featured in his book. The event, on Saturday, February 22, at 1:00 p.m., will include video clips and a Muppet trivia contest with prizes, followed by a book signing. Copies of the book are available for purchase in the Museum store.

Jay Leno ended his run on The Tonight Show last night. After 22 years, he is stepping down and handing the show over to Jimmy Fallon. Talking about his successor, Leno said, “It's fun to kind of be the old guy and sit back here and see where the next generation takes this great institution. More gamely than convincingly, but it really is time to go and hand it off to the next guy, it really is.” His last show featured Billy Crystal, the first guest he had on his show in 1992, and music by Garth Brooks. He had cameos from celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Carol Burnett and Kim Kardashian and President Obama even paid his respects in a taped message. Leno ended the show quoting Johnny Carson's words, “I bid you all a heartfelt goodnight.”

Back as part of a national tour for the first time in 17 years, Linda Balgord finds herself in familiar, but new territory. Balgord plays Madame Giry in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, marking the fifth different character she's played in an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical.

“Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” followed last night with its highest rating ever, a 4.6/15 in metered-market households.

Jay Leno's final telecast hosting “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” has delivered the show's highest overnight rating in nearly five years, since March 2009.

Jay Leno gave a teary-eyed, heartfelt farewell speech during his final moments as host of NBC's THE TONIGHT SHOW last night.

Billy Crystal, who 22 years ago served as Leno's very first guest, gave a monologue of his own to close out his good friend's run on the show.

Sheryl Crow, Carol Burnett, Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Jack Black, NBA star Chris Paul and Jim Parsons and Billy Crystal surprised Jay with a musical performance!

Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd announces the cast and creative team for the world premiere of a new comedy by Theresa Rebeck, Fool. In Rebeck's new comedy, two kings get together and place a wager on their fools - a jester competition, and the funniest one gets to keep his head. Two evil minions have a lot to say about this, but not as much as the kitchen wench. And what's the queen been up to all night? A dramatical comical farcical tragical play about power, love and laughter, set in a medieval kitchen. Adult Language, Adult Situations, Beheadings.

The Wallis has announced that Tony nominee Judy Kuhn (She Loves Me, Chess and Les Miserables) and Tony winner and five-time Emmy nominee John Glover (Love! Valour! Compassion!, 'Smallville') will star in Love, Noel: The Letters and Songs of Noel Coward, devised and written by Coward authority Barry Day, and directed by Jeanie Hackett, who over saw The Antaeus Theatre production of Noel Coward's Tonight at 8:30 and the three-year development of the Antaeus production of Coward's Peace in Our Time. The musical direction and piano accompaniment is by David O. Due to popular demand, additional performances have been added and Love, Noel will now be performed February 14 through 23 in the Lovelace Studio Theater.

On February 10, Curious George premieres its eighth season on PBS KIDS with a special appearance by renowned entertainer Carol Burnett, winner of the 16th annual Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. This season's all-new episodes continue to focus on teaching preschoolers about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts, with a special spotlight on engineering.

Arcadia Performing Arts Foundation presents Broadway star Susan Egan, who originated the role of 'Belle' in Disney's Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, as part of its first season at the Arcadia Performing Arts Center, on Saturday, March 1 at 8pm. Joining Egan on stage is the sixty-member Arcadia Stage, the theatre student program at Arcadia High School. They will sing four songs with Egan, and then two from their upcoming production of Curtains.

The cast has been announced for Gerard Alessandrini's FORBIDDEN BROADWAY, one of NYC's best-loved and highly anticipated productions, which happily returns to New York with FORBIDDEN BROADWAY; Alive and STILL Kicking on February 22nd at the newly refurbished Davenport Theatre (354 W. 45th Street, Between 8th and 9th Avenues). ERICA DORFLER (Book of Mormon, Memphis), CARTER CALVERT (Ain't Nothin' But The Blues, Smokey Joe's Cafe) and join SCOTT RICHARD FOSTER and MARCUS STEVENS, who starred in last year's edition. FORBIDDEN BROADWAY; Alive and STILL Kicking features brand new takes on the shows that opened in Forbidden Broadway's absence: Pippin, Kinky Boots, Matilda and Motown along with highlights from last season's acclaimed and very popular edition: Once, Evita, Newsies, Book of Mormon, among others. Over the course of the spring, Alessandrini will continue to add new material to reflect the season's openings, and unveil the new edition around the time of the Tony Awards.

On February 21, 2014, the Hilberry Theatre's 51st season continues with Moon Over Buffalo, Ken Ludwig's riotously funny backstage farce. The opening night performance also coincides with the 2014-15 Hilberry Theatre Season Announcement. Tickets for Moon Over Buffalo range from $12-$30 and are available by calling the Hilberry Theatre Box Office at 313- 577-2972, online at Hilberry.com, or by visiting the box office at 4743 Cass Avenue on the corner of Hancock Street.

In 1984 Tod Booth was hired to direct at the then-named Alhambra Dinner Theatre. The show? I Ought to be in Pictures starring Claude Akins. Five weeks later, on a return trip to watch a show, while sitting at table B15 with owner Leon Simon, Tod made an offer to buy the Alhambra. The deal was done on a napkin. In two years he took the gross revenue from $700,000 to $2,500,000 and was named 'Entrepreneur of the Year' by the Jacksonville Business Journal. The rest, as Tod says, 'is history.' While not necessarily billed as an anniversary, it's hard to miss the parallels between the 1984 production and the 2014 production: Tod is still directing and the Alhambra is still bringing in big-name guest stars, this time Richard Karn from television's Home Improvement. I Ought to be in Pictures opens February 12, 2014 at the nation's longest running professional dinner theater.

Multi-talented show woman Vicki Lawrence - perhaps best known for her beloved character, 'Mama' - will perform a two-act show at the Suncoast Showroom, tonight and tomorrow, January 25 and 26.

Arcadia Performing Arts Foundation presents its first season at the Arcadia Performing Arts Center - Air Supply tonight, January 25 at 8 pm; America on Saturday, February 22 at 8 pm; Broadway star Susan Egan, the original Belle of Beauty and the Beast, on Saturday, March 1 at 8 pm; and The Temptations on Saturday, June 7 at 8 pm.

After a 10-month hiatus, Gerard Alessandrini's FORBIDDEN BROADWAY, one of NYC's best-loved and highly anticipated productions, happily returns to New York, beginning February 22nd at the newly refurbished Davenport Theatre (354 W. 45th Street, Between 8th and 9th Avenues) with FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: Alive and STILL Kicking, featuring brand new takes on the shows that opened in Forbidden Broadway's absence: Pippin, Kinky Boots, Matilda and Motown along with highlights from last season's acclaimed and very popular edition: Once, Evita, Newsies, Book of Mormon, among others.